PHO, the fragrant broth and noodle soup of Vietnam that has achieved global notoriety, is my go-to recovery meal.
Whatever ails me, be it a sore throat, a mental fog following a big night out, or just mid-week weariness, a rich and aromatic bowl of this magical soup sets me straight. Originating in Northern Vietnam in the Red River Delta, pho also found a home in the south following the mass migration of northerners in the wake of the Partition of the country in the mid 1950s. The soup, which is most commonly eaten for breakfast in Vietnam, is now arguably the country's signature dish.
Ken and Thuy Nguyen, husband and wife owners of the new Hanoi Bistro on East Second Street in North Vancouver, recently described to me their own experiences with pho as I sat in the tiny restaurant awaiting my takeaway order.
"Pho was a luxury food when I was growing up," explained Ken. "It was very expensive and most people could not afford it."
He described how his mother would spring for a hot bowl of pho for him whenever he was under the weather as a young boy. The spicy soup was a special indulgence, both curative and exciting.
Today, pho is one of three signature dishes on the Hanoi Bistro menu, alongside Co'm Cari, northern Vietnamese curry, offered here with either beef or chicken, and nom, a build-your-own salad option that affords diners a chance to sample several of the restaurant's tasty grilled meats piled atop a bed of carrot and daikon and finished with fresh herbs, fried onions, peanuts and Nuoc Mam, the ubiquitous salty and tangy fish sauce that is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine.
As Ken and Thuy prepared my order (they are at once Hanoi Bistro's owners, managers, chefs, servers, cleaners, marketers, accountants, and custodians) I sipped on my new favourite drink
of summer, the Ca-Phe Cappuccino, a delicious blend of ferociously strong, slightly smoky espresso, foam and condensed milk served over ice. The espresso's bitter bite was perfectly tempered by the creamy sweetness of the condensed milk and the melting ice cubes. I can't help but wonder how much longer it will be before the corporate coffee giants co-opt this recipe; Vietnamese iced coffee largely remains a niche specialty in North America despite its simplicity, low cost and utter deliciousness.
Hanoi Bistro's menu is deliberately small, explained Thuy, so that each dish can be treated with respect and all ingredients remain fresh. My food order of four appetizers and two main courses provided me with an in-depth tasting of the restaurant's offerings.
My meal began with grilled prawns that were succulent, tender and garlicky. I pressed Ken to tell me what was in the marinade, but he played his cards close to his chest; these are family recipes, after all, and the list of ingredients for something this delicious is surely a competitive advantage best not widely shared.
Crispy, simply seasoned chicken wings were next up, followed by two versions of Cha Nem, crunchy, deep-fried spring rolls. The first versions were filled with assorted vegetables and vermicelli and the second, the house special, with crab meat, shrimp, pork, vegetables and vermicelli. The spring rolls were light, flaky and expertly seasoned.
For the main courses, I first sampled a combination plate that came with a choice of rice or vermicelli, a cucumber, tomato and lettuce salad with fish sauce, grilled prawns, tangy, salty sliced pork, and lemongrass chicken, comprised of moist cubes of skin-on chicken breast delicately perfumed with the citrusy herb.
The stand-out dish of an already delicious meal was the second entrée, the Co'm Cari Bo, a mild beef curry with rice. I am admittedly not well acquainted with the curries of Vietnam but if Hanoi Bistro's version is any indication of their typical preparation, I will certainly be seeking them out regularly now. Tender morsels of marbled stewing beef and potato are cooked in a coconut-based curry sauce that is mild on the heat scale but packed with the rich flavours of toasted spices like cinnamon, coriander, cardamom and a number of other ingredients from Hanoi Bistro's proprietary spice arsenal that shall remain unnamed.
The bill for all six dishes described above, after tax and gratuity, was $46. The restaurant has limited seating and lends itself well to take out.
Hanoi Bistro is located at 109 East Second St. in North Vancouver. Phone number: 604-984-2664.
Chris Dagenais served as restaurant manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
